Hayes Trial on Battery Charge Continued

Thursday

Feb 7, 2013 at 11:18 AM

A Polk County judge Thursday granted Burney Hayes an extension in his misdemeanor battery case. Hayes, 52, will have a pre-trial conference at 8:30 a.m. March 7 with County Judge John E. Kirkland, according to his lawyer, Larry Hardaway. Hardaway said Hayes has entered a plea of not guilty.

Hayes, 52, will have a pre-trial conference at 8:30 a.m. March 7 with County Judge John E. Kirkland, according to his lawyer, Larry Hardaway.

Hardaway said Hayes has entered a plea of not guilty.

Hayes is facing a battery charge after forcibly removing 16-year-old Michael Thompson from a Lake Wales High School junior varsity basketball practice after a fight between Thompson and another player.

Hayes was a citizen coach but was fired after the incident.

He sent a written apology to Thompson on Feb. 1 through school and community officials and then canceled a news conference planned for last Saturday.

"His statement was sufficient," Hardaway said.

An NAACP investigation is still under way on the reasons for his firing and for the resignation of former coach Billy D. Williams from Lake Wales High last June after he didn't intervene in a fight.

Hardaway said the Lake Wales Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People has gathered a great deal of information, but he wants to keep Hayes focused on his legal defense.

"This is most important," Hardaway said.

The investigation is being conducted by Lakeland NAACP Branch President Don Brown, Winter Haven NAACP Branch President Fred Leonard Sr. and Lake Wales NAACP board member William Moure.

They are looking into whether Coach Randy Lee, a white man, was in a similar situation that was handled differently by the school and Lake Wales police.

David Smith, president of the Lake Wales NAACP Branch, has said he will abstain from the investigation because Hayes is a member of his board.

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